


Nightmares and Melodies

by orphan_account



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, the winter soldier - Fandom
Genre: Domestic, M/M, platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-10
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-02-08 06:01:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1929390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky has nightmares. Steve tries to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmares and Melodies

**Author's Note:**

> Some comfort Steve and Bucky. Again, for Jean, from a prompt she gave me.

 

Everything’s red.

He can feel himself burning up, but he can’t say anything. He knows he’s not allowed to say anything.

When he screams, they put him under again. He doesn’t remember what happened last time they put him under, just that when they do, he doesn’t wake up the same.

He’s running now.

Running as fast as he can, as far as he can.

He can’t let them catch up to him. This might be his only chance to leave.

He hits something and then there’s blood.

So much blood, he doesn’t know what to do, so he puts a hand over it. The only hand that can’t do any damage.

He punches through something. He feels his arm go through wood, but he knows that both his hands are covering his wound.

Bucky finally opens his eyes.

It’s green.

Like the bushes outside the apartment building. It calms him a bit, slows down his heart beat, but only for a second.

He finds himself standing beside his bed, sheets on the floor with his clothes, and a hole in the headboard.

So that’s what he’d punched…

A light knock at the door startles him, whipping around with his arm ready, Steve at the other end, peering in.

                “Bucky?” he whispers. “You alright? I heard something…” he trails off, looking from him to the broken headboard. “Oh.”

                “Sorry,” he mumbles, relaxing his stance.

                “That’s alright. It’s just a piece of wood. Are you okay?” he asks.

                “’M fine,” is all he says. Steve lingers in the doorway for a bit, not looking at Bucky. He nods and shuts the door. Bucky sighs when Steve leaves, and looks around himself. He nudges the clothes towards the window with his foot, putting the sheets back on the bed sloppily and lies back down.

                _I'm in love with a melody that captured me_ his mind repeats.

 

He covers his face with one arm.

                _It’s a part of my heart haunting me and I'm forever saying_

The song plays through his mind. He tries to force himself to sleep, but the words keep coming back to him.

He should know the song, he _does_ know the song.

But he doesn’t know why.

He doesn’t remember when he came to DC.

He doesn’t remember who brought him there.

He doesn’t even remember why he came here in the first place.

But this ancient song won’t leave him alone.

                “ _Night and day like a magic charm that melody comes to me, constantly thrilling me and that's why I keep saying_.”

He begins singing along with the little voice in his head. The words come to him naturally, and it frustrates him because he can’t remember how or why he knows this.

He shouldn’t remember _anything_ like this.

                “ _Play that dreamy melody that soothing refrain, Play it sweet and tenderly, I don't know why it haunts me so I seem to hear it everywhere_.”

He recognizes Steve’s voice coming from outside his room.

He fights with himself to leave his bed, but loses.

Quietly, he makes his way to the door, listening to Steve sing the rest of the song and then over again.

His stomach drops and his chest clenches. He shuts his eyes tight, not even realizing when he leaves the room.

                “I’m sorry!” Steve quickly apologizes. “Did I wake you up?” He shakes his head no, jaw clenching and unclenching.

                “That song,” he manages.

                “You remember it?” Steve asks. The hope in his voice is faint, but he picks up on it.

                “I…I don’t know. I know the words. I don’t know where it’s from.”

                “ _I go play that magic harmony_ ,” Steve starts.

_“‘twill linger forever just like a memory, oh let me dream and play for me that melody_ ,” Bucky finishes.

“Dreamy Melody, 1923, the Sterling Trio,” Steve recites. He looks closely at Bucky, searching for even the slightest hint of recollection.

“I…” he starts.

“When we first met, I used to have nightmares a lot. When I would stay with you, you would sing it to me until I fell asleep,” Steve reminds him. Bucky shakes his head.

“I should remember that,” he says through gritted teeth.

                “Hey, Buck, hey it’s okay,” Steve says gently. He makes his way to the couch, next to Steve. Their arms brush together and Bucky tenses up again.

                It’s Steve’s touch that relaxes him. It’s the familiarity of his hand on his arm that brings him back to reality, back to that moment.

                Steve starts singing again. It’s soft, almost under his breath, but Bucky listens for it. He tries his hardest to keep that voice going through his mind right this instant.

                That melody that captured him tonight, and all those years ago. Steve’s voice that hasn’t changed a bit, and the feeling of total and complete peace.

                It’s the only thing keeping him human, after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> Song used in this fic can be found here: 
> 
>  
> 
> "A Dreamy Melody"
> 
> http://www.loc.gov/jukebox/recordings/detail/id/9460/


End file.
